A devotional for Holy Week

¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: ¹⁶ This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”
¹⁷ Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” ¹⁸ And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Hebrews 10:15-17 NIV

Long before mobile phones became the normal means of communication, my landline phone rang at 2:30 in the morning. Usually that meant it was either an emergency or a wrong number. Startled from my sleep, I grabbed the phone prepared for bad news. The voice on the other end of the line was frantic, but familiar. The caller was a church member, let’s call him Tommy, who apologized for calling during the night, but quickly explained his desperation.

I had known Tommy for years. He was a good guy, married, with two kids. I could tell that Tommy was at the bottom of the well emotionally and spiritually. He said he hadn’t slept well in several days because of struggling with a deep sense of guilt. During our conversation Tommy seemed consumed by the ghosts of his youthful and recent sins. More than once he said, “I am underserving of God’s grace” and “I’m not sure that Jesus can forgive my sins.”

As a young pastor, I was relieved it wasn’t a trauma call, and I was trying to think how to respond in a helpful way while still in the fog of being almost awake. Off the cuff I suggested three things: First, I said, “Being underserving is a prerequisite to receiving grace.” Second, I proposed, “I’m not sure which sin is bothering you most, but if it includes a violation of one of the Ten Commandments, I think you are covered.” And finally, I added, “If God has forgiven the sins of other human beings for thousands of years, it might be considered arrogant to think that you are an exception.”

After a long pause, Tommy said, “I’ve never thought about it that way before. I think you are right. Even my sins can be forgiven.”

Today is Good Friday, a day we reflect on the suffering of Christ on the cross. Let us be reminded that all our sins, from the simplest to the most horrendous, were nailed to that cross, and because of God’s grace, we are forgiven.

Prayer: Our most gracious God, thank you for forgiving the worst in us so that you can bring out the best in us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Barry Howard serves as the pastor of the Church at Wieuca, a diverse, mission-driven congregation in North Atlanta. The Church at Wieuca is glad to support the ministry of Morningstar Children’s Home. Barry and his wife, Amanda, reside in Brookhaven, Georgia. He also serves as a columnist and leadership coach for the Center for Healthy Churches.)